All eyes on John

I don't know what the rest of you have been doing this week, but some of us have been doing our homework. Well, four of us, anyway. Mother Mary (my mother Mary, not The Mother Mary, for those easily confused) looked up verse John 3:14, which states "14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up." Cousin Dené also had the verse close at hand, as did my pal Kurt, who was quick to point out that "The reference to John 3:14 [is something] you see at every football and basketball game." And just when I thought sports couldn't get any more convoluted.

It was Dené who offered up a tentative theory. She certainly nailed one point when she suggested that Paul may have been thinking about sin. (Aren't we all? But I digress...) Paul has indeed been thinking about it--maybe a little too much--but you can read for yourself and decide.
[Okay, this time there is more. Keep reading or remain in the dark, where you may or may not be more comfortable.]

Dené's theory is as follows: "It looks like the vase is an illustration of the story found in Numbers 21:4-8."

[For those of you who must have everything spelled out for them: Numbers 21:4-8 "The Bronze Snake"
4 They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way;
5 they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!"
6 Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died.
7 The people came to Moses and said, "We sinned when we spoke against the LORD and against you. Pray that the LORD will take the snakes away from us." So Moses prayed for the people.
8 The LORD said to Moses, "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live."
9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived.]

Sorry, Dené. Please continue. "The snake on the pole was lifted up to God in order that people who sinned against God might be forgiven and receive life. The painting shows a large eye (probably God's eye) behind the very attractive gentleman (who I believe may be an idealized version of Jesus Christ). He is being lifted up to God (just as the snake on the pole was lifted up thousands of years ago) so that sinners might receive forgiveness and life from God. The Bible says sin brings death and forgiveness brings new life."

Sounds good to me, but we still have one horn of contention. Not one to be easily fazed, Dené suggests that "there is a Biblical reference to 'the horn of salvation' so it might fit the theme of redemption for sin and the salvation of mankind."

Well, just when I thought we had a handle on John, Paul has to butt in with his own "theory." Who does this guy think he is, anyway? For the sake of humoring a more-than-likely temperamental artiste, Paul wrote me today with the following information:

"The scene on the vase is based on a real vase painting depicting a rite during the Athenian Anthesteria festival. It was part of the Chytroi. A girl was made to swing on an unusual swing strung between two unconnected posts."

Mm-hmm. I don't know if this takes us back to square one, or there was ever a square to begin with (though I'm sure there's a reference to one in there somewhere) but let me assure everyone that I will study this portrait as long as necessary to see what's behind it.

[Many thanks to Mary, Kurt and Dené for their contributions to this very worthy cause. And a most gracious thank you to Paul Mellender for both creating this piece and suffering through our painful analysis thereof.]